Several Moon Landing Attempts This Week, Coming Months

Starting Sunday, March 2nd, 2025 several private company moon landing attempts are on the way for the week ahead and coming months.

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Blue Ghost: Private Moon Lander Poised for Historic Touchdown

A privately-built robotic spacecraft is about to attempt something only national space agencies have done: landing on the Moon. Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander is scheduled to touch down on the lunar surface in the early hours of Sunday, March 2, 2025. (At the time of writing, the lander had not yet made its attempt) This mission, part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, could make Blue Ghost one of the first private spacecraft to achieve a lunar landing – something so far accomplished by only a single other private mission. The upcoming attempt marks a major milestone in a new era of space exploration, where private companies are reaching for the Moon.

What’s perhaps even more exciting as that the leading private space companies with contracts for the moon, Musk’s SpaceX, and Bezos’ Blue Origin, are not the company making this attempt. The Launch Alliance is not focused on the moon at this moment, but it’s surprising that they are also not involved with this landing.

Blue Ghost’s Bold Moon Landing Attempt

If all goes well, Blue Ghost will descend toward a broad basin on the Moon’s near side, aiming for a gentle touchdown. NASA will live-stream the landing via NASA TV around 2:20 a.m. ET on Sunday, so space fans can watch this private lander’s bid for history. The spacecraft is carrying 10 NASA science instruments on board. These payloads include equipment to probe beneath the Moon’s crust and analyze its powdery soil, along with cameras and sensors to beam back data. The mission is expected to last about two weeks, during which Blue Ghost will run experiments and transmit insights supporting NASA’s Artemis program. This is one of the first of many Artemis program initiatives to begin a human return to the moon.

Blue Ghost’s name comes from a rare firefly known for its eerie blue glow —a nod to Firefly Aerospace’s moniker and a hint at the illumination this mission aims to provide for lunar science. According to NBC: the targeted landing site was picked for its scientific potential; the terrain could hold clues about the Moon’s internal structure and history. A safe touchdown would be a triumph for Firefly and a validation of NASA’s strategy of partnering with private companies to push the frontiers of exploration. Regardless of the current political climate, Musk’s SpaceX has been instrumental to NASA and remains the sole functional, proven resource to bring humans and equipment to and from space consistently. Of note, SpaceX operates at a far lower cost for NASA than the SLA, which charged $5 bn (and went over budget) to develop a competing product which ceremoniously executed one delivery of astronauts to the space station but then stranded them there due to failed and faulty equipment.

Science And The Artemis Connection

This mission isn’t a tech demo or publicity stunt; Blue Ghost is packed with scientific purpose. The instruments on board will conduct experiments to deepen our understanding of Earth’s only moon. Some tools will measure what lies beneath the lunar surface, helping scientists learn about the Moon’s internal structure and seismic activity. Others will study the lunar regolith (moon dust) to determine its composition and search for resources like water ice. Many have speculated there is currently ice available on the moon, an element that would make it far easier for humans to live and build on the Moon as planned.

Robotic landers like this are critically important, testing technologies and gathering data ahead of astronaut missions. Through CLPS, NASA pays private firms like Firefly to deliver payloads to the Moon – essentially buying rides to the lunar surface. If Blue Ghost succeeds, it will further validate public-private collaboration for space exploration.

The Historic Rise of Private Moonshots

Blue Ghost’s landing attempt is historic in context. Until recently, landing on the Moon was an achievement reserved for national superpowers – the United States, the Soviet Union, and China. Now, private companies are taking on that challenge themselves. The first private lunar landing ever occurred last year when Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander successfully touched down (as part of a NASA CLPS mission) . That lander even managed to send back data despite ending up tipped over, proving that commercial players can handle the Moon’s unforgiving terrain. Other private attempts came close but fell short, underscoring how difficult lunar landings remain.

All this sets the stage for Blue Ghost. Firefly Aerospace could become only the second private entity to stick a Moon landing, showing that Intuitive Machines’ feat wasn’t a one-off and more are on the way. Intuitive Machines is preparing another lunar landing within days, and Astrobotic (a Pittsburgh company) is slated to launch its own lander soon. We may even see multiple private missions reach the Moon in the next year. This rapid rise of private moonshots is transforming lunar exploration, making it more accessible and dynamic.

Conclusion

We’re now watching private industry reach for the Moon — and get there. Blue Ghost’s landing attempt is both exciting and nerve-wracking, and I’ll be holding my breath during final descent. But I’m as thrilled for what comes after the landing. The touchdown will be a historic moment, yet the real payoff is the treasure trove of knowledge this mission could bring back. As exhilarating as a successful landing would be, what we learn from these pioneering trips will be even more interesting in the long run. Each private mission like Blue Ghost brings us one step closer to a future where trips to the Moon become almost routine — not on Google Flights yet, but maybe someday — and that’s something exciting to look forward to.

What do you think?